


Born To Die

by uselessbian



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU in which Link goes back in time to try and save everyone lol, Angst, Fix-It, Ganon is a big piss baby as always, Hurt/Comfort, I will add tags as the fic progresses hahahh, Multi, Revali can’t do emotions, Time Travel, Zelda and Link are ride or die for each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 12:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17244482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uselessbian/pseuds/uselessbian
Summary: “If you could, would you go back and save them?” she asked him.“Of course,” Link whispered. He would do anything for a second chance at seeing them again. Anything to experience Daruk’s rock-crushing embrace; to hear Urbosa’s hearty, thunderous laugh; to feel Mipha’s graceful healing and gentle words.Anything to see Revali once more.Revali and his soft blue feathers that felt heavenly against his bare skin. Revali and his evocative eyes; those twin emeralds that cut deep into Link without mercy. Revali and his tender heart—a fervent thing which he kept guarded under a bristling exterior. Revali, whose love he cherished so dearly, so long ago...Link would do anything, even forfeit his own life for his Champions; for his Beloved.ORIn which sixty years has passed since the fall of the Calamity. Link lives his days in quiet mourning of the past, with Zelda’s company the only thing keeping him from descending into outright hermitage. But an unexpected gift from the Goddess gives him a second chance to bring back his fallen friends and bring peace to his wounded heart.However, he isn’t the only one brought back...





	Born To Die

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first botw fic (even though I’ve been obsessed since day one fhfhfhfjdh). I know I was supposed to have this out before Christmas but my heart was SHATTERED by the Banana Fish finale and I was emotionally incapacitated for a week BUT IM FINE NOW. Probably. Not really. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this :’)

_Is that you?_  
_The breeze gently blowing through my hair_ _  
_ Telling me that you are still there…

-Unknown

 

It was past the quiet hours of twilight when Link awoke from his slumber. Dawn had just begun to stretch its golden glow across Hyrule, and its rays flitted gracefully across his vision. Sitting up, he blinked a few times, ridding his eyes of the stubborn sleep that clung to them. It was after some alertness had returned to him that he swung his legs over the bedside and onto the cool wood of the floor. He stood and stretched out his tired back. A few pops, and that post-sleeping tension lost its hold on him for the time being. With a little haste,  he dressed into clothes suitable for a crisp autumn morning. Many things needed to be taken care of; it was an important day, after all.

 

Stepping out from the warm confines of his house, Link was greeted by a chilly gust of wind. Like a playful lover it caressed his face and tousled his silver hair, all of which roused from him a gentle smile. It was that same wind that carried over the scents from the marketplace—more specifically, scents of freshly-baked goods that Link had the intention of nabbing before anyone else could. And so, with a slight hobble in his step, the olden Hylian Champion made his way down to Hateno’s town square.

 

Hateno was no longer that quaint, little village from sixty years ago. After the fall of the Calamity, the quiet establishment steadily bloomed into a modest merchant hub with lively sellers and patrons alike. The town had a warm, welcoming atmosphere in spite of its bustling nature. It was here that Link could lose himself to the friendly buzz of the inhabitants.

 

He continued on—scurrying rather quickly across his worn wooden bridge—down the cobblestone road and into the opening of the central marketplace. Though the morning sun had just settled over the land, it was already quite busy: Hylian-made clothing and crafts were being hung up on vendor racks, their creators raising them high to catch as many eyes as they could. Weaponsmiths brought out their sharpest and sturdiest of stocks, looking to catch the grip of some prospective warrior—or perhaps just a cautious traveler. There was wool from the sheep herder, and fresh vegetables grown from the local farms and gardens. Barrels were filled to their brims, teeming with apples and pears from the fall harvest. Mingling within the herd of Hylians were some of the other races as well: there was a Gerudo merchant who stocked her shelves with various jewels and trinkets, while a Zora placed fresh, plump fish atop his icebox. Two Gorons were sifting through their cases of salts and spices. There were no Rito here, though. They rarely visited this far east…

 

Even so, the market was still an exuberant place. It was no Gerudo Town, but it had a particular sort of charm to it nevertheless.

 

“Hey there Mister Hero!” a young voice called suddenly. Turning towards it, Link was met with the kindly face of a boy—he was pretty sure it was Avery, the innkeeper’s son—who waved wildly at him.

 

Link smiled and waved in return, the deep wrinkles on his face crinkling in mirth. He did that to the many others who greeted him, which they all did regularly. It seemed that even sixty years wasn’t enough time to push his heroism into obscurity.

 

**~**

 

It was a little past mid-morning when Link returned from the market. He bought two loaves of fresh bread, a sizable trout and a colorful arrangement of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. Along with the sheep’s butter in his icebox, Link intended to bake them into a hearty roast.

 

It was one of Zelda’s favorite dishes.

 

It was a relatively simple one as well. With it came the added bonus of an oven-warmed house. After preparing the food, Link worked on tidying up for Zelda’s arrival. She visited him monthly, which was a tradition that originated back when she was beginning to rebuild Hyrule. Despite her hectic and burdensome schedule, she put aside one day each month to check up on him. Some of the more earlier visits had Zelda attempting to change Link’s living arrangements, which at the time were...introverted at best.

 

“I wouldn’t mind it, you know” she said to him during one of those days. It was around four years after they had defeated Ganon, and Zelda was helping her newfound citizens re-establish the crop fields outside of Castletown.  

 

“Wouldn’t mind what?” Link asked, despite knowing where the conversation was going.

 

“I wouldn’t mind you taking up residence at the castle, is what I mean. In fact, I would be delighted by having you there. I could clear up a private sector for you, if you’d like.” Her voice was soft, and her eyes—deep green with flecks of blue—held a gentleness to them that spoke volumes of her love.

 

“It’s quite alright...I prefer it here in Hateno. I’ve had this house ever since I awoke from the Shrine, so it’s become like a home to me,” Link responded, hoping the sincerity in his voice would make up for his rather dejecting response. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her! Rather...he didn’t want to see the castle. That place gave him feelings of terrible dread even though Ganon was no more. In fact, it seemed as if every place in Hyrule—besides Hateno—sparked a sick feeling in his stomach. After recovering even more of his lost memories, all that Link felt when looking upon the land was immense guilt. Immense sadness. Immense loss...

 

But Zelda took no offense to his words—if anything she seemed concerned. Her eyes shone with some vague emotion Link couldn’t place, and he could tell that she wanted to say more, with the way her brow furrowed just slightly. Instead, she smiled at him, reaching out to clasp his calloused hands in hers. “Well, then I guess you shall simply prepare yourself for my many future visits! My heart hates the thought of not seeing my dearest friend ever again.”

 

Link had smiled broadly at that.

 

From then on she would drop by his little house, making sure that his slight hermitage was only just that: slight. There they would talk about many things: Zelda spoke of Hyrule’s progress, and Link of the local happenings and gossips of Hateno. He would share with her some of the recipes he discovered while on his journey, while she would go into extreme and slightly-too-much detail about the various frog-based potions she concocted in her free time.

 

They also talked a lot about the Champions. Zelda took the lead with those conversations.

 

“Daruk, well, he had a larger than life personality, which truly complimented his large size,” she said. “I remember this one time when you two had an eat-off, during the Castle’s Yuletide celebration. I was so worried you both would burst from all of the food you were eating! Well, rocks in Daruk’s case.”

 

“I think I dreamt that once. I can remember Urbosa laughing her head off in the background,” Link said with a gleam in his eyes.

 

“Ah yes, now that you mention it, I’m pretty sure she was laughing at my father’s inability to stop you both from eating out the entire castle! You two could have made some hybrid food-rock mountain out of everything you both ate.”

 

A giggle graced his lips at that, prompting Zelda to continue sharing more lighthearted encounters between them and the Champions.

 

“And there was this one time when we needed to sneak you into Gerudo Town,” Zelda began, her eyes glinting with glee. “So Urbosa brought you the finest of Gerudo garb! Really, it was quite a fetching sight,” she smirked, then _winked_.

 

“Hey!” Link said with no short amount of laughter lacing his voice. He mock-pushed her arm, which led her to mock-push him back, which ultimately ended up with them both falling off his couch and giggling uncontrollably on the floor.

 

“I’m being serious!” she exclaimed with no amount of seriousness in her voice. “But that wasn’t the best part! You actually quite liked the outfit, if I wasn’t mistaken. So much so that you wanted to go above and beyond! You actually tried wearing the heels too!”

 

“Oh Goddess, really?”

 

“Yes! Well, you tried to anyways. You-”

 

“I sank well into the sand. Even on solid ground I couldn’t go more than two feet without stumbling,” Link recalled just then. “I remember her laughter then as well—Urbosa’s laughter, I mean. It was a joyous thing, wasn’t it?”

 

“Yes,” Zelda added quietly. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, glancing up at the photograph on his wall—the one Purah took of them all—for a few seconds. “I’m glad that you remember it though. Perhaps reminiscing will uncover more of your memories.”

 

“Perhaps,” Link said. With that in mind, he asked his next question.“What of my relationship with Mipha? From what I remember, we were very good friends.”

 

“Oh yes,” Zelda answered. “That much is true. From what I can recall, she was your first friend, and you both would always play with each other whenever you visited the Domain as a child.” she said. “She healed your wounds, no matter how small they were. And as you both grew, she felt more and more worried about your wellbeing, with you getting hurt more and more…”

 

“Did I love her?” Link asked rather abruptly. He knew that Mipha loved him in a romantic sense, what with the armor she crafted for him. He still hadn’t discovered if the feelings were requited, though was pretty sure they weren’t.

 

“No,” Zelda said with conviction. “No, you did not hold her in the same regard as she did to you. She was a friend in your eyes, nothing more.” With this, Zelda looked away, though not in anger. Her eyes landed in Mipha’s trident displayed on the wall, and all that Link could see in their depths was sadness. Grief. Longing.

 

It made him feel terrible.

 

Reaching toward her hands—which were tightly clenched together—he held them, trying to give her some form of comfort. It seemed to have worked, for she sat up straighter against the floored couch cushion. Her gaze returned to him, holding a little less sorrow than before.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered. They both sat like that, huddled together on the floor of Link’s house. For a while, they simply wallowed in their shared silence.

 

And then,

 

“What about Revali?” Link asked with hesitance. “From the few memories I’ve gathered, it seemed as if we were nothing more than intense rivals at best. But...that doesn’t—I don’t think that, well…”

 

Zelda was looking at him now. That terrible sadness from before was back in her eyes, though it was directed towards him this time. Link felt dread pool in his stomach.

 

“...it’s just that whenever I think about him I get this strange feeling in my chest. It’s almost like sadness, but it also feels like longing? And something else I can’t really describe. Maybe it’s nothing. But when I saw him on Medoh—” Link’s voice then wavered, the name of the Divine Beast catching something heavy in his throat. He continued nevertheless. “I felt something! I know I did. But he just, he didn’t—what were we? He was so distant, but it felt forced! Like he didn’t want to get too close. Which I understand why but at the same time makes no sense because we weren’t— It’s just that I feel—”

 

“Love,” Zelda said. The word left her lips with doleful grace. Like some bearer of bad news whose task was to tell some poor family that their loved one hadn’t made it. “You two had loved each other, all those years ago.”

 

Link said nothing, though his face paled in fear.

 

“At least that’s what I perceived. After Revali resolved whatever antagonism he felt towards you, you both became...incredibly close. Whenever Impa took up a temporary position as guard, you would head straight to Rito Village to spend your time with him. Even when you were busy as my knight he wouldn’t go long without checking up on you.” Zelda explained. “His eyes, I remember they held such warmth for you...” She looked towards him again, only to find his ashen face focused on the bow mounted against the wall.

 

The Great Eagle Bow. Revali’s bow.

 

Link stood up, drifting over towards the relic. With trembling hands he lifted the weapon off of its perch, delicate in his maneuvers as his fingertips ghosted over the old oaken surface. He had held this bow before, after receiving it from Kaneli. Link thought little of the weird comfort it brought over him at the time. But now, standing with it once again, Link closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in that feeling once more…

 

~

 

_“By the Goddess, you’re holding it wrong!” Revali tutted with mock irritation. Link could hear the faint laughter that danced underneath his voice._

 

_“Oh, should I hold it like this?” Link replied, mock-innocence sparkling in the depths of his sky-kissed eyes. He intentionally held the Great Eagle Bow with the most atrocious positioning he could imagine, topping it off with a crooked and uneven stance._

 

_“Absolutely not! Your stance is horrible, probably the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime if I’m being honest. And if you hold any bow like that you’ll end up shooting your foot off in no time!”_

 

_“So then...like this?” Link asked again, even furthering his display of a horrible stance. His legs were so far apart that he was essentially doing a split at this point._

 

_“No!” Revali cried, though that faint laughter from before shone through entirely in his exclamation. “You—hahah! Oh my Goddess that’s just terrible!”_

 

_Link turned to Revali upon hearing his unabashed amusement. Seeing him so carefree and happy was utterly contagious; it brought a grand smile to his own face at the sight._

 

_“Maybe you should just show me, seeing how terrible I am at this,” Link chimed. He batted his eyelashes for extra measure._

 

_“My goodness, you truly are impossible,” Revali huffed, eyes soft as the lush moss underfoot. He walked over to Link, positioning himself behind him. Gently, he used his own legs to guide Link’s into a more balanced posture, whilst gently leading his arms into the correct position. His fingers—velvety feathers that gleamed beautifully in the sun—brushed against him tenderly as he guided the Hylian’s elbow downwards. “Here you are, see how balanced your body is now? If your legs are spread too far apart, you won’t have as much control over your shot. Plus, you looked quite absurd with whatever that was, some sort of half-split half-crouch?”_

 

_“Hey, that’s my professional archer’s position you’re insulting!”_

 

_At that, more laughter sprang from the both of them. Link—placing down that great bow—turned around to face Revali, whose deep blue feathers fluffed charmingly around his visage. With careful hands he carded his fingers through those downy tufts, causing the Rito to give him a look of sincere adoration. Who would have thought that those sharp emerald orbs could soften so? And such a thought pleased Link like no other: that he was someone capable of bringing out this hidden side of intimacy. In return, Revali brought his forehead down to rest upon Link’s. The plumes of his crest fluffed up when the Hylian nuzzled back. It was a Rito kiss—one of the most pleasant things Link has ever experienced._

 

_“If all you wanted was a kiss, you simply could have asked instead of making a fool out of yourself,” Revali said, mirth lacing his singsong voice._

 

_“Well that’s not fun,” Link replied. “Besides, my antics have always brought out your laughter—”_

 

_“More like scorn. And stress! I’ll have you know that your ‘antics’ stress me out immensely—”_

 

_“—and it’s a sound that I cherish very much! I would act like the biggest fool in all of Hyrule just to hear it,” the Hylian finished, topping it off with a sweet peck to Revali’s brow. Of which greatly flustered Revali, causing his entire plumage to ruffle uncontrollably (and as Link saw it, quite adorably)._

 

_“W-well! It’s not like you’d have to act like one! You’re a fool through and through.”_

 

 _Link smirked. “I’m not just any old fool; I’m_ your _fool.”_

 

_“Unfortunately!” Revali chortled, not hiding his amused expression. Really, it was an evident truth how enamored he was with his sweet, foolish Hylian. So evident that the two lovebirds spent the next few minutes lost in their playful affection. Nothing else existed except for the other; except for the lighthearted wind who swathed them in scents of pine and cedar._

 

_Their love was like that wind; like those jovial gusts; those twirls that danced in the sky, twisting through leaves and golden sunlight in graceful, arching pirouettes; those zephyrs who bore the sweet smells of Tabantha; of safflina and wildberries and crisp mountain air. There was the occasional squall, though as time went on those more turbulent gusts became few and far in between..._

 

_They then remembered the task at hand and moved back into their positions. Picking up the bow, Link shifted into the warmth of his lover. Downy cheek feathers tickled against Hylian ears as those velvet wingtips maneuvered him into position. From their close proximity, Link could hear the dulcet rhythm of Revali’s heartbeat._

 

_“Now, just draw the bowstring back—yes, like that, up to the curve of your smile. There…_

 

_Focus on the target…_

 

_Then release…_

 

_~_

 

Link came back to himself with a choked sob, falling to his knees in a breathless heap.

 

“Link!” Zelda cried, hastening towards his crumpled form. She placed her hands on his shoulders, only to find them shaking; shaking like some poor, supple prey whose flesh lay pierced by talons. She tried to calm him with her touch, however futile it was. He just kept shaking. He would not stop shaking. He shook like a mountain ready to burst. He shook as if he were cold.

 

And then, like ice, he broke.

 

Still clutching tightly to Revali’s bow, Link began sobbing; sobbing with the force of convulsing death. They were deep and heaving ones—mournful ones. Ones that racked his trembling form with tremendous anguish. Hot, thick tears erupted from his eyes, streaking down his cheeks and onto the surface of the precious weapon. Mucus flowed from his nose—wet and viscid—across his quivering lips; lips that let loose deep, bellowing cries. In spite of that, Zelda quickly gathered him into her arms, resting his head against the steady thumping of her chest. He held fast to her embrace, surrendering himself to her comfort as his whole world shattered around him; as he remembered that love; that feeling of adoration; those velvet feathers; that dulcet rhythm; those bright green eyes that existed no more.

 

_Ah._

 

It was then that it made sense. That hole. That gaping, screaming hole in his chest—a thing he felt ever since waking up in that lonely shrine—must have been this all along. This putrid sense of love and loss. A tender heart that lay torn and still as death inside of him. He felt it on Vah Medoh, though Revali’s spirit had been...phlegmatic at best. Distant. Cautious. Link simply wrote his own emotions off as some sort of detached pity.

 

_How ironic._

 

And really, that must be the worst type of loss: one you are not even aware of, not until it is too late. One that leaves you hollow, crying into the arms of half-strangers.

 

Regardless, they had remained like that, even as darkness drew close. Sleep dulled their senses, lulling them both into a weary slumber. They stayed embraced, like a pair of vines holding, wrapping, clinging together over a sharp cliff’s edge. Their contact was the only thing stopping their fall into the black breakers below...

 

Looking back on that day, Link remembered how grateful he was for her company. Only they understood each other’s pain for what it was: intertwined despair brought upon by desolation; a life brought low by malice and evil. Everything they had loved was gone—except for each other. And Link was grateful—so grateful, eternally grateful—that in spite of his fractured recollection, she loved him dearly. Without her, he would have certainly died from grief.

 

Link remembered how Zelda held him close that entire night; how she ignored her own tears so that his could be soothed away.

 

And then it was morning. Zelda bid him goodbye, promising her return by next month’s full moon.

 

“Even sooner if I can!” she promised, hugging him close once more. To which Link responded with reassurances that he understood her responsibility, and no, there was no need to feel so sorry. Her comfort was not contained to just helping him sort through muddled memories; Hyrule needed her too.

 

And so the Queen left, dashing off into morning’s glow atop her white stallion. The Hero stood watching as the steed galloped away, watching as its mane shone bright in the sunlight. It glimmered like gold.

 

He wondered if his heart would ever shine bright again.

 

~

 

Link stepped outside, greeting the midnight air with weary sighs and puffs of breath. He could not stand being inside. He could not sleep. It was too hot; too stifling; too much memories. He was alone with too many memories. He had laid in bed, drifting through fragmented dreams that shook him to his soul; that left more tears leaking from his eyes. Eyes. Green eyes. Bright green eyes that gleamed wonderfully in the sun and glinted smoothly in the moon and they were eyes that loved him dearly because they both had loved each other, all those years ago, because that is what Zelda said last night and that was what he felt then _and_ now and when Link had closed his own eyes he saw emeralds staring back and he broke apart because they were Revali’s and he hated them because Revali was gone and dead and Revali had acted phlegmatic at best and he could not stand it. He could not sleep.

 

So he threw on his cloak and walked into the night, following the light of the full moon. Beams of silver cut like arrows through the darkness, illuminating his way to Midla Woods. Fireflies blinked in and out of existence. They smothered out as quickly as they shone.

 

_“You know, it is a Rito tradition to confess your love under the light of the full moon.”_

 

_“Really?”_

 

_“Yes. Though nighttime brings darkness, it is the luster of the moon that brings clarity to what lies unseen. It is a time when truth is brought to light.”_

 

He cradled close the Great Eagle Bow. He had not let go of it after Zelda left. It was the only thing left of Revali.

 

_“How gross! Don’t you ever brush your hair?”_

 

_“Uhhh, yeah! I’ll have you know that I brushed it last week...I think.”_

 

_“I can’t believe you! Come here and let me fix it; it looks like a bird’s nest.”_

 

He sat down in the grass, underneath trees whose leaves whispered softly together. The chorus of night swirled around him; it played a symphony for him.

 

_“I made this paraglider for you...but don’t think to deeply about it! I can’t have you falling off some cliff and dying like an idiot.”_

 

He saw the stars. They were beautiful, twinkling, shimmering. They were so far away. He wished he could feel their light.

 

_“Don’t listen to him. For a king, he can be quite the undignified asshole.”_

 

_“Revali!”_

 

_“Hey, I’m being honest. You are more than some prized chess piece against the Calamity...you are a person, Link. He should treat you like one.”_

 

He felt rocks digging into his shoulder.

 

_“My beloved! Oh, you feel so beauteous!”_

 

He smelt the musty scent of earth and decay.

 

_“You can be so stupid sometimes! What madness had gotten into you, taking on two Lynels like that?! You’re lucky I was nearby, you dunderhead!”_

 

He felt twin trails of droplets; cool and salty droplets. They would not stop streaming down his face.

 

_“ You are more precious to me than anything in this world.”_

 

“You are too.” Link rasped, tears falling heavily once more. No one heard his mournful cries; no one but the wind and the silver moon.

 

~

 

Link shook himself out of his thoughts; they were such wild, unpredictable things. Sometimes they left him alone, while other times they jumped him, pulling into their dark depths as they just did moments ago. He shooed them away, continuing on with his cleaning as his food cooked. Link discovered that losing himself to menial tasks pushed those thoughts away for a little bit. Any reprieve was better than none.

 

Hours passed, and the sun was just dipping into the western sky when Link heard a gentle knocking on his door. _Zelda_.

 

“Come in!” he called, pulling the roast out of the oven and onto the wooden trivet of his table. The aroma of crisped trout wafted through the kitchen, enveloping the area with smells of buttered fish and herbs. The meat was soft and sizzling, and Link was quite excited to sink his teeth into it; to lose himself in a great meal with a great friend. He heard footsteps enter the room, graceful as a summerwing butterfly. All of a sudden, the air seemed lighter around him.

 

“Your Majesty! You’ve barged into my house so many times, at this point I didn’t think you’d take to knocking again,” he chuckled, turning fully towards his dear companion.

 

His heart stopped.

 

There stood not his beloved friend: a woman who time blessed deep wrinkles and grey hair upon; whose eyes lay misty with age, like a foggy bank of verdant life; who was missing a tooth on her bottom jaw from biting an apple too hard. No, this woman did not look seventy-seven.

 

She looked like a goddess.

 

She was tall and holy-looking, with hair that lay gentle on her shoulders, cascading around her like a golden fall. She glowed gold—the softer kind; the kind that bathes a sunset’s crown in heavenly light. Her gown was a bright, diaphanous white, which faintly contrasted against the peach of her kind face. The strangest thing of all was that she smiled at him as if he were a beloved friend! Which was odd. Link was definitely sure that he did not befriend any tall, glowing ladies in his travels from before (or presently within Hateno for that matter). Though this woman looked faintly familiar...and the only person he ever saw glow gold was…

 

“Zelda, what happened?! Have you been tinkering with de-aging potions?” Link exclaimed. “You know, Purah had done something similar a while back; when I first re-met her actually.” _Yes_ , he thought. _That must be it_ . _An experiment gone wrong!_

 

Young-looking Zelda merely smiled, letting loose a soft, tittering sound that flowed like billowing silk. It was a laugh akin to wind chimes: twinkling, rising and falling to the rhythm of the wind; like a bird soaring with the updraft, only to dive down into the playful arms of the breeze once more.

 

“No, do not worry. There has not been any disastrous experiments. At least, not presently,” she said. Walking towards the set table, Young-looking Zelda took her seat across from Link, sweetly observing the meal laid out before them. “I have always looked this way.”

 

“Hah! Of course; It wouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t aged at all, and I just imagined those wrinkles and grey hairs,” Link mused. “After all, you’ve always been so capable and strong; always powering through hardships. You bear them with so much grace, unlike myself…” Sighing, he glanced back towards the olden bow on the wall...but as quickly as he looked, he turned away. Instead, Link began to pile dinner onto the empty plates. He ignored the look Young-looking Zelda sent his way.

 

“Though enough of that! Say, how fared that nobility dispute? The one between the two families bickering over their ‘rightful’ positions in the court? I don’t see why both of them can’t share the spotlight. If they truly want what’s best for the people, they’d work together.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“It’s all so silly, if you ask me.”

 

“Quite silly.”

 

“There are more important things to worry about, like that sheep sickness going around! A few of the yearlings here fell ill last week because of it.”

 

“That is certainly worrisome!”

 

“How did it resolve then? I know you must’ve done it; you wouldn’t let something like that cause a ruckus for so long. The quarrel, I mean.”

 

“I am afraid,” Young-looking Zelda spoke, “that you are mistaking me for someone else.” She picked up her fork, using it to gently skewer some of the vegetables.

 

“Huh?”

 

“I am not Zelda.”

 

“No?”

 

“No.” She then raised the food to her mouth, ingesting it with no short amount of godly grace.

 

Silence. And then a timid question. “But who are you?”

 

She replied with calm words, in a voice he then recognized from long ago.

 

“You know.”

 

And he did know, right then. He knew that voice; a voice that resided in statues of holy stature; within his darkest fears and brightest dreams of the past, never upfront but there in the marges of his mind; a voice that spoke not a word to the _real_ Zelda as she kneeled tirelessly in icy spring water, hair frozen to her back like the tears on her face.

 

But he had not a moment more to ponder on that voice, for its owner began making her way towards the wall. The wall with Revali’s bow.

 

“This is a fine bow,” she said. She lifted it from its perch and carefully studied it with attentive eyes.

 

“Yes,” Link replied. “Please have care, though. It is very old. And very dear to me…”

 

His guest heeded to the request, gently putting it back. She walked back over and sat down. She looked at him, eyes searching and staring. She asked him a question.

 

“If you could, would you go back and save them?”

 

Link was stunned for a moment, wondering where such a direct question came from. But he answered with conviction nonetheless. “Of course,” he whispered. He would do anything for a second chance at seeing them again. Anything to experience Daruk’s rock-crushing embrace; to hear Urbosa’s hearty, thunderous laugh; to feel Mipha’s graceful healing and gentle words.

 

Anything to see Revali once more.

 

Revali…

 

He could never go a day without thinking about the Rito; the bow on the wall prevented that. Even if that bow was not there, his dreams were constantly haunted by wind and a piercing jade and words of love long lost. Even after sixty years, Link could not forget about Revali. His beloved Revali. Revali and his soft blue feathers that felt heavenly against his bare skin. Revali and his evocative eyes; those twin emeralds that cut deep into Link without mercy. Revali and his tender heart—a fervent thing which he kept guarded under a bristling exterior. Revali, whose love he cherished _so dearly,_ so long ago. How Link’s own heart mourned to feel that passion once more! To once again feel his lover’s wind tousle his hair and caress his tired, aching soul...

 

He would do _anything_ if it meant giving his friends and beloved another chance at life. Turning back to his guest, Link saw her own otherworldly eyes staring back at him.

 

“Would you go back, even if your own life was not guaranteed?”

 

Not a moment passed before Link answered.

 

“Of course.”

 

And not a moment passed before Link was encompassed by a flashing golden light; by that voice and its gentle press of words against his ear.

 

_Good luck, Link._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Go follow my tumblr juliazephyrs :D


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